More poor conditions reduced the number of games on April 28, 1920 to four. The weather would allow play in New York, but a century ago ball fields did not drain well, so the Yankees and Senators could not play due to the water in the Polo Grounds. The high scoring game of the goes to the Red Sox at the Athletics, ending in a fourteen inning 7-7 tie. Neither team scored in the last six innings, and the game was called due to darkness. Ties did not count in the standings, and the game would need to be made up. The statistics for the players did count, however. That’s why when you look at the historic record, you’ll often see teams playing 155 or 156 games in a 154 game season.

The low scoring game of the day took place in St. Louis, where the Browns shut out the Tigers 6-0. The Tigers fall to 0-10 on the season, the only team in the majors at this point in the season without a win.

Roxy Walters of the Red Sox posted the best offensive game of the day, going four for six with a walk and three RBI. Two other Red Sox players, Stuffy McInnis and Tim Hendryx also collected four hits. None of the hits were for extra bases. Walters caught, and must have been a great defensive catcher as his career slash line came in at .222/.281/.259 in an eleven year career. He collected 51 hits total in 1920, so this was a rare shining moment for the backup backstop.

The best pitched game of the day goes to Urban Shocker of the Browns, who authored the shutout against the Tigers. Shocker allowed just four hits and one walk, striking out one. We see these kinds of lines much more often 100 years ago, where the pitcher gave the batter a chance to put the ball in play. The Browns fielders came through. In 1920, Shocker started a four year stretch in which he would win twenty games every year. He pitched well since coming to the majors at seasonal age 25 in 1916, but didn’t pitch that much. In 1919 he cracked 200 innings for the first time. His peak came late, but what a peak it was, going 91-51 in the four years with a 2.93 ERA, leading the majors in wins. He completed 105 starts.

“Urban Shocker!” would make a great blurb for a film about the seamy underbelly of the big city. I’m thinking Taxi Driver.

Joe Jackson also had a good day at the plate that day, and led the majors in batting average with a .483 mark (14 for 29). Jackson’s day might have been even better, but Tris Speaker made a catch described as “the greatest catch ever seen on the Cleveland grounds.” (See the first link for the newspaper story.) Lefty Williams and Stan Coveleski tied for the lead in wins at 4-0. The White Sox played eight games in two weeks, and Williams started four of them. Cleveland played ten to give Coveleski his four starts.